Communicating in Pictures

I never read, I just look at pictures.

(Andy Warhol)

When I was in elementary school, our music teacher had a session on the Beatles. Hours and hours we studied the lyrics of songs, listened to stories of how they rose to fame from a small pub in Hamburg, Germany, and heard a few songs on tape. One girl in my class got quite upset and said that she was sick and tired of hearing about a band that no longer exists. She asked, why we don't study the teenager heart-throb of that time. The teacher had a big argument with her and claimed that when she is a grown up, she would still remember the Beatles but the latest fad would be long forgotten.

The story came to my mind when the boys asked me whether the song "She loves you" is from the Beatles. "Well", I said, "let's Google it!" We watched a life performance from 1963 and while the boys certainly liked the energy and the rhythm of the four rising stars, they were absolutely taken in by the mass hysteria of all the girl fans. They had never seen something like that before. Afterwards I tried remembering the band that the girl in my class had defended so vigorously and then it came to me, it was Smokie; you might recall their hit, "Living Next Door to Alice." I googled their performance of the late 70s and there also were four handsome boys with long hair but after their performance, fans just politely clapped their hands; no one cried and no one fainted.

So while my music teacher definitely won her bet, my realization was how blessed we all are having today's technology at our fingertips. Within instants I could pull up images that told the entire story of the Beatles mania in three minutes. Our music teacher after hours of preparation couldn't communicate the power of that short performance. Today everyone has this information at their fingertips. And if we need to explain anything to each other, we send videos, music, pictures, quotes and little stories. A lot will change in coming decades with the help of this technology. Just like the ancient Chinese we communicate now ideas with the help of symbols. But these don't need to be studied any longer; we just communicate in an universally accepted, intuitive language.

As I wrote this note my son pointed out to me a marketing slogan of Dunkin Donuts, "America runs on Dunkin" when we stopped for coffee and donuts. The slogan shows  a map of the U.S., a symbol of a runner, an "on" and "DD", the trade image of Dunkin Donuts. This may well be our mode of communication in coming centuries. Hope you have a creative mind and hope you are an artist at heart and you will be all set for the future.

Be Creative

Observe yourself in your interactions with others. See how your energy shifts as you talk with different people. You can literally experience how your mood changes when you talk. This is a great opportunity to understand the power of your thoughts and your reactions to others.

Observe how your mood fluctuates as you talk. This is the time when you can understand how you can create a special moment for yourself.  When you only focus on the negative aspects of the people you are with, observe how your belief system is going to create this reality.  As you engage with your conversation partner you create a story of yourself, of your partner and the situation you are in. As you tell this story you start believing in it. Just think about the creative powers that you hold at that moment.

Complaining is not good. It is a negative energy spiral that only strengthens as you both engage. We are not saying that you can't give negative feedback when the others ask for it; we are also not saying that there are not negative situations you can be in, but we would encourage you not to make the negative energy stronger by harboring on it. If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing. Feel free to tell your conversation partner that you have to go when you find the conversation is going downhill. It is like being an artist who stops painting because his brushes need cleaning. A conversation is a holy encounter that should never be tarnished by negative energy spirals.

Instead of wasting our time complaining about the cards life has supposedly dealt us, we could be grateful for every day, every minute to live and to create. We make good use of whatever the Tao has brought into our life. We could see the upside in every person, every situation and every mood we are in. Again, it is not that Tao travelers wear rose-colored glasses, it is that we have the divine opportunity to create with what is; and what is, is often not what appears to be. It takes a Tao traveler to sculpt a divine creation out of the clay of life.

We appreciate the friends we are with; we are grateful for the situation we are in. Our focus is never on what we can get out of a situation; our focus is always to see Her standing next to us. Holy Mother we are grateful for inviting us to be your divine Co-Creator!

By Christian and Su Zhen

Enjoy the Creative Age

Creativity and Imagination shall be the Stability of Thy Times.

(Quote at the Lego Store in New York)

Have you swung with Sia from the Chandelier? Have you shaken it with Taylor Swift or have you banged banged all over someone with Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj? Something is changing these days. You can feel it in the air. It is more than just having good sex. It is a feeling of letting go, of uniting passions, Spirit and living.

The Creative Society is completely new and it is coming out of nowhere. Sure, the 70s were also about letting go after the repressed 50s and early 60s, just as the roaring 20s were a consequence of the stuffed up Victorian times. But these were just counter-reactions that fizzled over time; the Creative Age is wo(man)'s epoch of breaking free. It is crazy at times, often irrationally exuberant but it is a true process of spiritual awakening. Creativity, art and Spirit go hand in hand. You can't have the one without the other.

Sure, the ego will come and try to capture it. I have seen parents help their children found Indian dancing schools with the motive of getting them into MIT or Harvard. But they told everyone about it with so much glee and pride that soon all Ivy Schools will be showered with applicants who claim similar artistic initiatives. True art, genuine spirituality and a passion for creation cannot be faked. It can only be lived. 

Economies and societies are changing. The top programmers at Google, Apple and Facebook can no longer be lured with money alone. Creative, artistic and life expressions are as much part of it. And it is not only the smartest of us who get the prestigious job. I presume that we will reprogram our value systems in coming decades and will reevaluate the jobs of nurses, teachers, artisans, artists, stylists, entertainers, et cetera. In short, everyone who interacts with others will find that only spirituality gets you connectedness, economic security and happiness; everything else will be outsourced to robots and computers. 

Enjoy the Creative Age!

What is Your Way?

I was sitting in a car with another investor and I told him that I was assuming coverage of a different region than I had done before. He asked me why, and I responded "My boss told me to do it - so be it." He looked at me and only said, "Well, you are a soldier."

You may like Christian Wiese's writings, and yes, that is who I am. I am describing a Way, but hardly the Way. The Psychologist C.G. Jung once discovered what he called our Archetypes -different personality types, roles that seem to be written into our collective subconscious - and we all seem to be gravitating towards one. Mine has loyalty written all over it. I once came up with the 3 Cs that define Christian's Way: Care, Creativity and Community. I care about the community I am operating in and would give everything to see things through that I care about. I am the love that the Christ talks about, just as I am the soldier that Lord Krishna appealed to on the battlefield in the Bhagavad Gita. Love and loyalty are my sources of creativity and strive, but as I said before, it is my Way and hardly the Way.

Find your source of originality but don't make a religion out of it. The word religion is based on the Latin root "to bind"; always act from your nature but don't tie yourself to anything but the Way. You are everything! There is a time when the soldier has to rebel and there is a time when the player has to make a stance. There is no wrong or right, there is only the Way. As the reader of my writings knows, I am also a Tao traveler. As Lao-Tzu discovered many thousand years ago, the Way comprises everything: the solder, the mother, the trickster, the wise woman and so much more. Do your job in whatever shape or form, then go your jolly Way.

Everyone on a spiritual journey has to make a first step towards Her. So what's your Way?

Hanging Out with the Unknown

We have the tendency to find a solution as fast as possible whenever we come across a difficult situation. It literally hurts us not to know what lies ahead so we press to find a solution as quickly as possible; yet, experience tells us that certain problems need stewing over, hard as it is. Same with taking medication when we fall sick. Being slow, aching and being vulnerable is unacceptable so we demand the magic pill that restores our health immediately.  Seldom are we are willing to face this pain, find the root cause, and take necessary action to fix the underlying issues.

We have the restlessness and impatience when we face some unfamiliar or challenging issues. Too often do we just want to grab the first solution at hand and try to put the issues to rest. Observe how you feel when you take this approach. Do you really feel peaceful or do you perhaps still struggle even after you have made your choice?

When we face an unfamiliar situation or confront a difficult issue, we have to allow ourselves to be there with the insecurity and the unknown. We have to give ourselves time to digest the issues and let the answer arise in us.  It takes courage to face the unknown and be friend with Her.  When we take a fast solution we certainly can be in conflict with the present moment.  

A spiritual path is an encounter with the unknown. We mostly feel at peace but we do not know which step will be next. We may feel panic in the beginning but can get used to the creative power of the unknown pretty soon and fall in love with Her. But not every phase is rosy; there are also stretches when lingering tensions and conflicts come to the surface. It would be tempting to do what we used to, go for a drink, go shopping, have steamy sex, watch a movie or drown in work. But no, for the first time ever, we just accept the darkness. We take it in and just be with the fear, with the greed, with the restlessness. We don't take drugs, we don't run, we just hang out with the scary unknown and then magic happens. The conflict dissolves.

The secret of spirituality is always the same. No matter whether you have to make important decisions, face conflicts of the past or face your daily life. Center yourself, stay in the unknown, and suddenly, a way is shown to you. You know exactly what to do.  The words and answers are given to you, all you have to do is to show up and face whatever it is that comes your way.  You know it is the Way. The Tao is walking with you wherever you turn. Hang out with what is and joy, love, creativity and peace will be with you. Holding Her hand you meditate every step of the Way. Enjoy!

By Christian and Su Zhen 

It is in Your Power

Has it ever happened to you that you really want something to happen but you have no idea how? You are so dispirited that you just want to give up. If that is how you feel right now, relax, life has a present for you!

 We all struggle with failures, illnesses and problems that come our way. But you are not as helpless as it appears.  Instead of focusing on the obstacles, the successful people focus on what they want to achieve and experience. When they encounter bumps in the road, they take these opportunities as chances to grow and not as punishments. After we learn our lessons they transform and open up to life with even more intensity. Everything becomes easy again. On the other hand, if we keep running away from our difficulties, they don’t really just disappear.  They show up again until we have mastered what we need to learn.

Take love as an example. We all are eager for love and want to experience love as best as we can. We are most happy when we are surrounded by love. However, everyone who has been in love before also knows that suffering is unfortunately nearby. Does love make us suffer? What if our loved one gets sick? What if she doesn't love us back?

We suffer only because we don’t really know what love is. Whenever we get a glimpse of true love we transform and open up to life no matter what. There is incredible creativity and love in opening up to everything that comes our way. We learn from our problems and learn to focus on what we want to experience. We are able to tell the story of our life and are able to look through the occasional distraction.

The same philosophy applies to all obstacles and difficulties in our life. If we resist, they will persist. If we open up to them, the overriding storyline will soon become clear to us and we will transform ourself and the environment we operate in. Take the courage, be persistent and find the creative solution that hides in every obstacle. Life is here for us to become the creator and healer we are born to be. It is in your power!

By Christian and Su Zhen

Let Your Creations Flow Right Through You

When Her work is done, she forgets it.
That's why it lasts forever.
(Tao Te Ching)

There was once a body-builder who had won a number of important tournaments and was on the way to make a name for himself. A friend took him out for dinner and had some advice for him. He said, "you know son, you are in a good position to do something with your life. You have a talent, don't squander it. This body of yours will not earn you a living forever. You could open fitness studios in the LA area; you can become a businessman; you can brand your name." The body-builder laughed and said, "I have other plans. I first will become a famous actor and afterwards become a politician. One day I will be the president of the Unites States."

Do you recognize the German accent when you read this story? Yes, this exchange allegedly once took place between Arnold Schwarzenegger and a friend as he was on his was to win the seven Mr. Olympia championships in body-building. This magnificent body of his was the means to reaching for the stars.

We spiritual travelers sometimes look down on any goals that involve our body, yet, as Arnold Schwarzenegger's showed, he used his impressive body to express the longings of his soul. His body was a means to an end, to break into Hollywood and eventually into politics. There are so many others - dancers, performers, athletes - who manage to express themselves with the help of their amazing bodies. What right do we have to say, "you are not your body"? Yet, the spiritual community is right in pointing out out that you if your body ever becomes an end in itself, chances are you will become depressed one day. The giant is within - eventually, not even the most amazing body can represent the Spirit.

The same is true for money. When earning money in a prestigious job is just the reward for putting your heart and soul into a job that you live doing, the money will flow right through you. Perhaps it becomes the means to financing your children's education, or taking your family on some exciting vacations, and providing a beautiful home. Yet, when you enter a competition with your peers in who has the most earnings and buying power then money unfortunately has become an end in itself. It sticks to you and chances are, sooner or later life will send you a message that you are abusing your creative powers.

The message of spirituality is quite a simple one. Grant yourself whatever your heart desires but make sure none of your belongings possess you. Let all of your creations flow right through you. God gave you your creative powers to enrich all of us. And when your work is done, know that it is good and then walk away. This is the difference between a life-giving, flowing brook and a decaying, stagnant puddle.

Don't get us wrong, you have every reason to be proud of your creation just as God is proud of His. Keep them coming, never get entangled with them and never make them an end in themselves. You would only belittle your creative powers that way. Your creations are the means to uniting your Self with God. Enjoy every step of the Way.

The Shadow as a Source of Creativity

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
the courage to change the things I can;
and the wisdom to know the difference.
(The Serenity Prayer)

The spiritual community always works under the assumption that we all have the ability and right to be "healthy, wealthy and wise." Well, you can aspire to reach this state; perhaps you are even so good that you already have reached it. And if you haven't, please put your best foot forward towards this goal and may Grace be with you so that you get what you want.

But for those who feel that something is missing despite their best efforts, perhaps your mission is to just accept it and focus your psychic energies on other dimensions of your life instead. Has it occurred to you that this perceived lack can in fact be the driving force for your spiritual growth? Could it be that the darkness that you perceive in one area is in fact the jumping board to catapult you to unseen heights in other areas? As you feel inadequate in one dimension, you end up compensating in other dimensions. You put different emphasis because of the lack which makes you unique in the end. Your conflict turns out to be the source of your creativity; the frustration becomes the driving force.

 Being "healthy, wealthy and wise" is all very good, but the goal of our existence is happiness, and happiness is an outgrowth of a life well-spent. It turns out that finding spiritual meaning in our life is the cornerstone of happiness and true satisfaction. Ask a hero and she will tell you that even sacrifice can be worth living for if it is meaningful for her life's mission. So conquer your life as every hero does and may you find the spiritual meaning in whatever comes your way.

Amazing Grace

You always experience Grace. The problem is only that you are often too occupied with other stuff to experience it. But then, once you break out of an old pattern you suddenly experience Grace and with it limitless joy, love and freedom. It is like a plane suddenly breaking through the clouds and with it comes an abundance of blue sky, sunshine and you even admire the beautiful cloud formation that you left behind. It is like the whole universe is celebrating with you this incredible transformation. Grace happens when you are open and willing to receive it.

It seems ironical but as a matter of fact you only think you are always looking for love, joy, peace and abundance. Deep inside there is a force that rejects this experience and is even afraid of receiving it. You still have too much fear; this force only believes in itself and it sets out to prove to itself how lonely it is and how hostile the surroundings are. So in effect, sometimes consciously, but often subconsciously, you don’t trust other people and you don’t trust the Tao. You are so used to not getting your way, so you don't trust that She is always here for you and ready to give you whatever you are looking for.

You need to break through the clouds like the airplane after lift-off and only then everything we say will be crystal clear because you can see it for yourself. You are in fact so powerful, you can produce the clouds for yourself as well as you can experience the clear sky. You are the Tao! It is you who decides what you are going to experience. Only you can remove the old world you are living in and only you can manifest Heaven on earth. It is your choice really.

When you are open, when you are willing, when you are ready for miracles and Grace, almost immediately, the Tao will deliver Heaven on earth for you. Right now, look at the clouds that surround you, listen to the voices in your head. You have the love, the innocence and the incredible creativity inside of you to transcend the old world. Connect with your love and creativity and the clouds will disappear, as the voices shut up in your head. Or rather, they might still be babbling, but it is just a murmur, drowned out by the incredible beauty that you can see for yourself. When you are open-minded, when you open your mind to this Force, Grace is at your disposal.

We are on a demolition course. The old world of ours is crumbling as we speak. Not by attacking anything, not by arguing with the voices in our head, but just by surging to higher heights. Embrace the suffering and the difficulties that surround you - just as the pilot accepts the clouds that surround him after take-off - but look for the creative spark and the love to transcend them. Once you accept that you are the Tao you must also accept that you have your outlet of creativity and love at your fingertips to leave your old world behind. Grace is just around the corner and the experience is amazing, so enjoy!

By Christian and Su Zhen

Rain or Shine, You Will be Fine

It is a Saturday morning, a child is bored and goes up to his dad and asks whether he can play video games on the IPad. "Well, how can you, I am reading my book on it?," replies the dad. The child gets annoyed and asks whether he can play Wii. "Well my friend you play much too many video games  anyway, do something else." The child cries, is visibly annoyed but after a few minutes goes down into the playroom and builds the most amazing piece of art with his Lego game.

Isn't that an amazing outcome? Yet every parent will know that this story is true. If you give in to every demand of the child that just means that you couldn't be bothered and your child will not thank you for it growing up. In the same vein, if you hit a constraint in your life, if your project at work doesn't quite work out the way you wanted, if you don't get the promotion you aspired to have, or if the partner of your dreams doesn't stay with you, you might be set up by the Tao to try again. You deserve to get what you truly aspire, but like my son on that rainy Saturday, you may have to let your creative juices flow first. Believe me, this outcome is good for everyone.

2013: The Year of Thinking Big

Each new year is the time of reflection for many, so perhaps you can take some time, sit quietly and ask yourself, what kind of life do you want to experience? Aim high! Can you picture what you aspire in your mind and actually feel all the joy and excitement as if your dreams already have come true?

Do you want to have a job which can channel your energy in a creative way and let you experience the joy of fulfilling yourself and having the lifestyle you aspire? What is it? Can you picture yourself being at work always with a big smile? Can you see yourself commuting to work whistling as you look forward to another day expressing your creativity and hanging out with people who you admire, respect and even love?

Describe this environment a little more. How integrated are you with your colleagues and friends? Do you see the creative ideas pouring out of you, the love that you share with others, the meaning you have from doing your job?  The more detail you can picture of this job, the more you can connect with this image and feel the joy of doing this job, the better.

How do you picture your life at home? What relationship do you want to experience? Do you want to have a family or do you want to lead a single life? Do you want to enjoy the love of having an extended spiritual family at home with all your soul siblings; share and support each other fulfill each other’s dreams? Or do you prefer keeping your independence at home but expressing your love and care for others in your life mission instead? There is no right or wrong, just ask yourself, what do you really want to experience?

What kind of body do you want to have? A fit, healthy and energetic body? What kind of sex life do you aspire to have? How physical do you want to be at work and in your creative outlets? What appearance would you like to have and what persona do you want to project?

Take your time and ask yourself these questions. When all the images show up in your mind, light up a candle, light up the light in your heart, close your eyes and picture all theses experiences you want to experience, with smile on your face. With the inner light in you, with the inner guide in you, you are able to experience your dream life.

Kerry Spackman presents an excellent way of sketching the life of your dreams in The Winner's Bible. He suggests to collect photos, achievements, goals, dreams and put them together in a folder and update them as the month unfold. Put only things into your folder that are really meaningful to you. If the neurons in your brain light up and your heart-beat quickens, or you just feel incredible joy, love and peace associated with a particular page, you probably are onto something. Think big along the lines we have suggested, but please also be flexible to change priorities over time. Traveling a spiritual path is a process. You have to separate ego fantasies from spiritual facts, have to understand trade-offs and you just have to simply discover who you truly are. The Tao will show you who you truly are and will create the environment that is truly meaningful for you.

Please do not start with preconceived notions of what God thinks is right for you or not. You go after your dreams and everything that is truly meaningful to you will be given to you. It will certainly not be a straight line, it will certainly take a little bit to connect all the dots, but soon enough the contours of your dream will become visible to you and at that point you will go after your dreams with everything you got. With the Tao as your guide, you are safe and well guided. May your dreams come true!

By Christian and Su Zhen

Share Your Present With the World

We have chosen to become the messenger of the Tao in our writings, in our interactions with others and in the way we let Her flow through us. This mission is a process, an ongoing alignment with a Force that we both can see, sense, feel and often understand. Since this inspiration can't be taken for granted, and given that these moments of connectedness mean so much for us, we both do whatever we can to cut out interferences to the best of our abilities. We connect with the Tao when we write and when we are mindful of the moment and when we spend time with others. The beauty of being a Tao traveler is that you can find Her anywhere, at home, at work; wherever your heart is, She is as well. When you are connected to the Source, every activity becomes divine by itself because it is like God is leading Her life through you. How can you not feel joyful, peaceful, loving and creative when God is with you all the time?

Eckhart Tolle is right. Living in the Now means to be enlightened by life. Consciousness shines through you at the time when you share your present with others. In the Now, your ego dissolves and with it your worries, your burdens and suffering. When you are enlightened by life there is only joy, laughter, love, peace and serene energy.

You will find your unique way of connecting with the miracle of life. Anything that is dear to your heart can be an expression of your devotion to Her. Explore your interests and  hobbies and let life help you finding out how you can make a living out of it. Let it be writing, music, acting, cooking, drawing, science, learning, teaching or caring for others.  When you do what you love, Her consciousness is flowing through you. You are literally a magnet and you are attracting the opportunities to share your enthusiasm with the rest of the world, while the activity per se will be literally effortless.

The Bhagavad Gita says, "You have the right to express yourself creatively, but you have no right to the fruit of your action." This doesn't mean that you as a creator will end up penniless, all it says is, do not concern yourself with the rewards. Let life figure all this out for you. Don't get bogged down in trying to calculate how the world will evaluate your present. Your present is literally priceless and life will make sure that you have everything your heart truly desires. Let life show you the way how to transcend from "making a living" to "living to express your True Self".One fact you can be sure of, your loved ones will champion your creative outlet.They signed up for this role of seeing you excel in your spiritual dimension a long time ago.

Focus on your present and how to share it and don't lose sleep over what society may or may not value at the current moment. We are entering the Creative Age and with it a new mind set and openness for your creative self-expression. Share your present with the world. What are you waiting for?

By Christian and Su Zhen

Express Your Self

Everyone is born with a gift to share with this world. It doesn't matter what kind of gift it is. What does matter is that you need to find out what kind of present you have to share with others. If there it is one guarantee in this world it is that you will find a way to share your talent. More than that, your happiness and peace of mind will depend on it.

This present could be your love for food. You may love food so much that even the trip to the market is full of joy for you. As you touch the ingredients, and literally caress them, you anticipate how the people you love and care for will enjoy them. Cooking is a form of meditation for you and your heart is literally singing all the way to the dinner table. When Christian's father-in-law turned 80, his sister-in-law was cooking for the family and some friends, and as she made a toast she said with tears in her eyes that for her this banquet was an expression of her love for him and all the people who were present. This is the devotion you can have for anything you do in life. Just imagine your bliss if you can make a career out of what you love doing.

Your present could be writing, as we do for you right now. Imagine your pen or your IPad as your lover. Every day you feel inspired and without this creative expression of your Self you feel that something is missing in your life. We feel like being a messenger of God when we write for you. To be the best at what we do, we have to deliver Her true message. As a matter of fact, we even have to rearrange our lives for our mission. Sometimes you can't hang out with your friends for too long, otherwise you may miss the divine phone call. You may even discover that you have to have a pure lifestyle to keep this divine communication going. But you will drop all the interferences happily to be ready for this moment of joy, creativity and love. For us it is certainly not about the success - we leave all that up to Her - it is about receiving the present of expressing our True Self.

Your divine calling could be landscaping; you could be a farmer, a singer, a musician, a researcher, an engineer, an educator or artist. You could enjoy healing people, caring for others, protecting the environment or endangered animals. You could be involved in community services, or the government. The list goes on and on. We are moving into a Creative Society where with the help of technology and Social Media everyone has a shot at sharing their divine present with others. Find that activity that fulfills you and makes you truly happy. A profession should be a calling that allows you to express your creativity, your love for what you do and should allow you to celebrate the connections with people that you care about.

Dear friends, have you found your sweetheart yet? Surely you have a hobby that gets your heartbeat going, that puts a smile on your face and allows you to share your radiating energy with others. We are all here to share our presents with this world, whether it is a big or a small contribution, but we all have one. It is ok to start out as an amateur and to keep your regular job to pay all the bills, but get started on sharing your present. The Tao will find you a way to make a living out of it eventually. But the Tao can only help if you take the first step. When you ignore that present and if you do not do your best to share it, you will feel that something is missing in your life and that heaviness will grow over time. Kindle that fire inside of you and let the Tao help you sharing your light with others. The Creative Society is waiting for you. When it comes to your present, the whole Universe is rooting for you, so please express your Self!

By Christian and Su Zhen




Sent from my iPad

The Expanding Pie

This idea contains the first glimmerings of your true function in the world, or why you are here. Your purpose is to see the world through your own holiness. Thus are you and the world blessed together. No one loses; nothing is taken away from anyone; everyone gains through your holy vision. It signifies the end of sacrifice because it offers everyone his full due. And he is entitled to everything because it is his birthright as a Son of God.
A Course in Miracles

Some people have the strange notion that they can only get something of value if they take it way from someone else. Well, it is true if you believe it is. But it doesn't have to be that way. We live in a world of abundance. A job is waiting for you that allows you to create whatever your heart desires. And as you do you will connect with others and allow them to be themselves. Every contribution will add to the expanding pie and the distribution of this pie should be the least of your concern. Eat to your heart's desire but then go back and create some more just by being yourself. It is that simple really.

On Creativity

'It seems that, in some way, each person has to discover what it means to be original and creative. After all, the child like quality of fresh, wholehearted interest is not in any of us. It comes in a small burst, and then it gets lost in confusion as the old special interests, fears, desires, aims, securities, pleasures, and pains come up from the past.
(David Bohm)

Life is creative. If you look at children you can see this so clearly. Everything is of interest, everything is exciting. It is the adults who are dull, unless of course, they feel passionate about something. But even that fire burns our with every decade that goes by, covered by all the dust and psychological baggage that accumulates. We are dulled by our fears,  burdened by our worries, distracted by our open or suppressed aggression. 'Be ye as little children', Jesus says. I believe you can get to this stage. Life invites you moment by moment to join in this creative act. 

Every decade computers become more powerful, already you can talk to a robot on your phone or in your car. We humans have to specialize in what we do best, to be human: communication, connection, creativity and care. No matter how long robots will evolve, they will never reach this creative spark that is always at our disposal. Communicating and connecting with others, finding this creative spark that expresses our divinity. You experience that Devine connection especially when you care for others.

Why do you think addiction and the use of anti-depressants is so rampant? Because we have lost this connection to this spark inside. You feel that something is missing but you do not know what. In agony you try to dull your senses to make your pain go away. The good news is your Devine core never goes away, the magic connection of the Tao is always present. Embrace life whole-heartedly and the Tao will show you the journey home. It will ask you to backtrack your steps. You will have to face the ugliness inside, the fears, the aggression, the open as well as suppressed desires, but it can be done. Yes, there will be a little turbulence along the way but before you know it you break through the clouds. Creativity is yours to discover, always.

 One day I was driving and saw a license plate with the letter 'U'. Immediately my mind jumped to the question, 'Yes, what about me?' I looked at the numbers and followed the methodology of numerology to add all digits until only one number is reached   (24 + 11 = 35 becomes 8) so it turned out that the number associated with this license plate was 8, my birth number (you get your birth number in the same way, adding the day, month and year you were born until you are left with a single digit). 'So where is the information in that?', I asked myself and drove on until I reached the next car which had ME written on it. Naturally, I thought that this license plate must be referring to God. Again I added up the numbers on the plate and they added to 2, the symbol of love. 'Oh, I thought, U and Me meet today (8 and 2 add in numerology to 1 which happened to be the number of the day, 3/29/2012) or put differently, surrounded by God's love, I am the Son of God as represented symbolically by the number 1.

I am not asking you to go out and seek hidden messages in license plate numbers. I encourage you to look out for this Force you are connected with. And when you do there is so much joy, so much laughter and so much creativity. 'Be ye as little children'; is a Child's play really.

Walking on Water

I had to give a presentation to a pretty intimidating crowd on a pretty intimidating subject and had no time to prepare for it whatsoever. Nevertheless, I did a great job doing it because someone had asked me a week earlier to make s similar speech and I had scribbled a few ideas together and it came out quite well. So on the day when the bar got raised a little higher I just reminded myself that the mental groves would be there to support me and that I would just have the perfect mix of tension, creativity and facts at my disposal.

In American Idol the judges often use the expression 'she could sing the phone book and would still be terrific'. I actually know someone in my line of business who falls in this category. Put him in front of 1000 people and he could give a brilliant 1 hour speech on any subject without preparation. The reason for this, besides the fact that he is really talented the way the singers are in American Idol, is that he believes that he can walk on water. I do the same, but I need something to hold on from time to time. My belief is that the Tao will always offer the support when I need it.

The point is that you are born creative, you only think that you need support. The Tao is here to show you the way. I still get invites to prepare myself for a challenging upcoming tasks, but fewer and fewer crutches are offered along the way while the bar is being raised all the time. Mental groves cut into our creativity, we don't want them. All we want is the insight and believe that we can walk on water. Do not fear, the Tao will get you there.

Constructive Assertiveness

There is violence wherever you look. True, we rarely beat each other up in bar fights any more, but for every loving act that you experience there is unfortunately a mean, underhanded or fearful act waiting for you as well. You must be able to observe this aggression in yourself from time to time. So what do we do with it? We are taught to be nice, helpful, kind and generous; so what do we do with the tension if deep down inside we want to do the opposite? Well, do something with this tension. Go out and do yard work, create something, play sports. The journey towards wholeness is completed when you realize that you can have it all. For every frustration there is an outlet.

Like Lord Krishna says to Arjun in the Bhagavad Gita:
You have the right to your actions,
but never to your action's fruits.
Act for the action sake,
and do not be attached to inaction.
Self-possessed, resolute, act,
without thought of results,
open to success and failure.


So no matter what storm is brewing inside of you, accept it and find the creative outlet to get rid of the steam. You have no idea what peace and transformation awaits you. Every crisis, every opponent and every injustice was hand-picked to define you as the one you were born to be. If you express violence rather than love you will be asked to choose again. If you manage to learn constructive assertiveness you have learned everything there is to know. From here on the journey home will be a child's play.

Let Go of Your Agenda

Have you met driven people who somehow always exude an agenda when you meet them? How boring and predictable they tend to be, even annoying at times. True creativity only happens here and now. When two or more people get together spontaneously and let the interpersonal magic unfold. 

When you catch yourself anticipating a conversation, perhaps even minting the words that you want to use, know that you are waisting your time. The here and now is holy, as holy as the soul sibling you are just about to meet. Let go of your agenda and be in for a surprise because true creativity will be born in front of your astonished eyes.

On Creativity

'It seems that, in some way, each person has to discover what it means to be original and creative. After all, the child like quality of fresh, wholehearted interest is not in any of us. It comes in a small burst, and then it gets lost in confusion as the old special interests, fears, desires, aims, securities, pleasures, and pains come up from the past.
(David Bohm)

I have a weird hobby, I study license plate numbers of cars that pass by for little messages from the Source. Today I saw 'U' which I took as a message for me and when I calculated the number ( in numerology you add numbers until you get a single digit) I came up with 8, which happens to be my birth number. I thought that this message was disappointingly obvious and when I drove by the next car, I saw 'ME', which I took for God, the Tao, or however else you want to call this Force we are interacting with. When I calculated the number on this license plate I came up with 2, which is a symbol of love. Yes, I thought to myself, me (8) and God's love (2) add to the number of the day, which happens to be 1. (10=1=3+29+2012) God's love also make me the Son of God which is represented by 1 as well. 

You may read this and think that at best I am delusional and at worst insane, and I don't mind that at all. What I would point out, however, is that I get an unbelievable number of little gems delivered this way to the point that the odds of my reading meaning into randomness are 0 rounded up. Try to find your own idiosyncratic way of communicating with the Tao. When you do, a new world of creativity will open up, and this communication will be as difficult or as easy as you like it to be. Sometimes I think that is how childhood must feel like, infinite fun and infinite connectedness. Just look out for it, you can't miss it.

On Creativity

Life is creative. If you look at children you can see this so clearly. Everything is of interest, everything is exciting. It is the adults who are dull, unless of course, they feel passionate about something. But even that fire burns our with every decade that goes by, covered by all the dust and psychological baggage that accumulates. We are dulled by our fears,  burdened by our worries, distracted by our open or suppressed aggression. 'Be ye as little children', the Christ says. I believe you can get to this stage. Life invites you moment by moment to join in this creative act. 

Every decade computers become more powerful, gone are the days when humans had to do monotonous tasks to earn a living. Well, not quite yet, but I think you can see that we are getting there eventually. We humans have to specialize in what we do best: connecting with others, truly be of service to our fellow woman and finding this creative spark that expresses our divinity. This occupation exists for you as well. It is your destiny to be a creator.

Why do you think addiction and the use of anti-depressants is so rampant? Because we have lost this connection to this devine spark inside. Unfortunately, you will have to do a little digging before you can reconnect with your innocence, before you can reconnect with your devine core. You have to backtrack your steps. You will have to face the ugliness inside, the fears, the aggression, the open as well as suppressed desires, but it can be done. Embrace life whole-heartedly and the Tao will show you the journey home. Your job and employment prospects will thank you for it. Nothing compares to that alertness, to that flow and to that creativity when you walk the Tao.